Navy SEALs Attack Taliban Compound at Altitude

When the Taliban have a compound where many of their leaders are hiding it’s always going to be hard to reach. This compound was no different, with the Navy SEALs DEVGRU unit climbing for more than half the night to reach the altitude where the Taliban were hiding. It reminds me of the Lone Survivor mission, Operation Redwings.

The plan was for my eight-man team to climb up the ridgeline and parallel the valley until we made our way past the target compound. We would set up a blocking position on the uphill side and contain the fighters in the valley if they tried to escape. They wouldn’t expect us on the high ground since the compounds sat almost at the very top of the valley.

The other two teams would patrol up the main road into the valley and try to flush the Taliban fighters out to where my team would ambush them. If the two teams made it all the way to the objective undetected, we would simply make our way down to the compound ourselves and help clear the target from all sides.

Arriving at the Base

DEVGRU arrive at the US combat base in the Kunar Province, Afghanistan, and they’re looking forward to getting their shit sorted before the climb. Instead, immediately after stepping foot off the Chinook they come under attack from the ridgeline next to the camp.

Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

RPG’s and gunfire pounded the ground around them, showering the men with shrapnel and catching them off guard. As the two Chinooks took off instantly, they knew they had to get the fuck out of there or they would be killed. As one of them took off it set off a trip wire around the perimeter of the camp. A flare rose high in the sky, lighting the battlefield to leave them exposed and under fire.

The men scarpered in to cover as the .50 caliber machine gun and mortars from the US troops in the base gave the Taliban as good as they were getting, with a shit load on top. The enemy fire faded out and they gathered their kit and got into the camp where they had cover.

Previous Knowledge

The soldiers already at the camp knew a fair bit about the enemy here. They had been patrolling towards the compound DEVGRU wanted to attack. They had climbed for six hours and got around halfway before coming under fire. The men had their work cut out if they were going to get to the high ground above the compound for the advantage in the attack.

The base soldiers headed out on a patrol a while later, DEVGRU following behind but turning off after falling back not long after they headed out of the gate. The main patrol was attempting to be a distraction from the attacking unit climbing up the mountain. It was going to be a long tough climb even without their plates that they removed to keep their kit as light as possible.

After following a road for two hours, Mark Owen explains how tough the climb was.

It was the end of the road. The trail narrowed and got steeper as we patrolled deeper into the valley. With every step I could feel the altitude and the weight of my equipment trying to slow me down. I was getting tired, and we were only halfway. I hoped all this effort would be worth it.

Let’s not forget these guys are super fit. It must have been a honking climb. They headed directly up to the ridge line, trying to find a goat trail that would give them the high ground advantage over the compound.

I could almost hear my legs scream, but we all knew it was the right call. From the road, we literally climbed up the mountain searching for the goat trail. Several times I had to tighten the sling on my weapon so I could grab boulders in front as I climbed. If I wasn’t pulling myself up the side of the mountain, I was making my own switchbacks as we climbed. No one spoke, but I could hear my teammates grunting as they climbed.

Reaching the Top

As they left behind their world of pain they found themselves in an excellent position above the enemy compound. The men were in place and they received the order to creep forward. It was quiet as the scumbags were sleeping, unaware that death was quietly arriving into their bedroom to send them to get their non-existence 72 virgins.

They scanned every door and window as they made their way to the first building. The laser finding nothing that needed taking out so far. Slow and quiet was the order of the day, stopping every few steps to evaluate the situation.

They moved inside the courtyard of the compound after cutting away a sheet that blocked the entrance. Hearts were pounding, the beats echoing around their minds as they approached the door of the first building. Were the enemy already watching them? Could they be waiting for a chance to kill more at one time? Or were they all asleep, unaware the SEALs were just metres away from them as they rested?

The lead man tried the door of their building. It was open. As he slowly opened the door he saw a man with a torch faffing about with it, trying to get it on amongst his panic. Another man sat up from under some blankets. He had an AK-47 next to him though and a chest rack on so this was game on.

They opened fire, killing both men. They opened another door and discovered women and children. With one SEAL keeping watch on them, they headed to another door farther along.

Fight On

A RECCE sniper behind the building had spotted around six Taliban fighters grabbing weapons. The enemy wanted to get involved but the sniper opened up on them, making them scramble for cover just as the SEALs burst in through the door.

One SEAL opens the door far enough to lob a frag grenade in. The explosion, along with the shrapnel, put a damper on the Taliban’s evening.

Heading to another building, the SEALs entered and discovered a dirt floor with food, clothes, oil and general shit littering the area. There was a Taliban fighter that was trying to climb out of the back window, gun in hand. He dropped out of it as bullets tore him apart.

The Taliban were starting to get some support now. US forces were attacking the compound, they had lost some of their leaders to a delicious lead baguette and it would only get worse for them.

Reports say there were three firefights occurring, with more enemy soldiers on the way down the valley. The SEAL team had a SAW gunner that was chewing them up as they came down to die, dropping their RPG’s as rounds filled their bodies.

There’s no better feeling when you have enemy combatants coming to help their fallen scumbag brothers than an AC-130 tearing them a new arsehole.

An AC-130 that smashed up the Taliban.

The author and his oppo Charlie headed off to clear an alleyway. Their weapons faced the opposite wall of the alley as they crept along. They were scanning for the enemy to take out. About halfway down Charlie suddenly opened fire. It was dark so they couldn’t see that far in front of themselves.

After Charlie stopped firing and moved forward the author saw an enemy fighter crumble just a few steps in front of him. That was a close call. The intense training they continue to put themselves through day after day was paying dividends here.

The All Clear

It wasn’t long after this that they heard the all clear over the radio. The buildings are clear. The enemy support has been chewed up by a gunship and silence fell on the area.

The Team gathered intel from the site. Computers and hard drives were collected. They took photos of the dead to confirm which Taliban leaders had been killed.

They received some intel that more fighters were coming from further away, drones were still up in the sky keeping a watchful eye and sending updates down to keep them abreast of the situation.

The frogmen piled up the captured ammo and weapons and set explosive charges to destroy it on a five-minute delay.

After the long climb earlier that night, adrenaline took them down in just three hours. The men were shattered, they had some gels and water, trying to replace some of the energy lost from the night’s work.

The enemy lost seventeen fighters that evening with a further seven or eight possibly killed by the AC-130.

This attack proved that going in heavy handed isn’t always the best way. Sometimes creeping in and having surprise on your side until the last second can reap bigger benefits.